Quick action pipe wrench



MaylS, 1943. P, yAuTRoT QUICK ACTION PIPE WRENCH Filed March 19, 1942 gwuumfo'b (rEoaeE P. VAUTROT Patented May 18, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE QUICK ACTION PIPE WRENCH George P. Vautrot, Leavenworth, Kans.

Application March 19, 1942, Serial No. 435,316

(Cl. 811G0) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to quick action pipe wrenches, and the main objects are to provide a wrench of this type that is relatively narrow for facilitating use in restricted places, and which can be more quickly set and adjusted upon pipes of various sizes, or quickly released therefrom.

More particularly the object of the invention is to provide a pipe wrench including an elongated handle formed with an elongated, laterally flattened head at its forward end, the lower portion thereof forming a fixed rear jaw, and the upper portion being offset upwardly above the end of the handle, there being a substantially fiat and narrow, rectangular chamber or recess formed in the head in alignment with a plane passed through the long. axes of the handle and head, and opening out forwardly and rearwardly through the ends of the upwardly offset portion of the head to provide passages or guide-ways for the shank of a movable front jaw, a movable front jaw mounted at the forward end of a shank passed slidably through the said guide-ways of the head, said front jaw being operatively aligned with the rear jaw, and the shank being dimensioned to rock somewhat in its guide-ways, in the plane of the axes of handle and head, and a follower block or locking block freely seated within the said chamber of the head, below the shank of the front jaw, with means for resiliently pressing the block to the shank, the meeting 5 faces of the block and shank being formed with intermeshing teeth for holding the front and rear jaws to any set relation. Additional detailed objects of the invention will appear from the specification.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational View of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the head of the wrench, the rear end of the handle being broken off, the frontal jaw and shank and follower block being shown in full lines.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In accordance with my invention, the: improved wrench includes an elongated handle 5 having an elongated and laterally flattened head 6 at its forward end, the lower portion being formed as a fixed rear jaw l, the working face thereof being serrated as shown, and inclined slightly rearward from its upper end to facilitate setting the wrench upon a pipe. The upper portion of the head 6 is offset upwardly to provide a shank holder 8, which is retracted some- What relative to the frontal face of the jaw l,

as indicated at 9, for a purpose to be pointed out. A flat and narrow, substantially rectangular chamber or recess Ill is formed in the head 6 in alignment with the plane of the handle and head, the said chamber opening out forwardly and rearwardly through the ends of the offset portion 80f the head, to form guide-ways for the shank of the forward jaw, to be described.

The inner frontal end wall of the chamber l0, below the frontal guide-way ii is inclined slightly rearward from the top towards the bottom, and is slightly concaveor arcuate, as shown at 12, for a purpose to be described.

An elongated jaw-shank 14' is provided and formed to freely slide lengthwise through the guide-ways I l of the head offset 8, and an integral frontal jaw 55, c'omplemental to the rear jaw l, is extended at the forward end of this shank. The inner face of this frontal jaw is also serrated as shown to correspond with the serrations It,- thus tending to' urge the said block upward" against the lower face of the shank I4.,The springs are seated at their endsin sockets [8 formed in the bottom of the chamber and in the lower face of the block, for holding thefn'. operatively in position. The meeting faces of the shank I l and oft'h'e block itare formed with intermeshing teeth 19, for locking the shank M and jaw l5 at any adjusted position. A stop pin or screw Ellis seated in the rearektre mity of, the shank I4 to hold it in place and prevent its falling out of the assembly.

A slot-2| is formed rned'iallythrough the ljft side wall of the head 6, perpendicularly tojtheupper andlower" margins of the head; and an adjustment screw 22is passed through this slot and is anchored at its inner end in the block [6, as indicated at 23. Downward pressure upon the outer head of this screw forces the block l6 downwardly and frees its teeth from those of the shank l4, thus permitting the shank to slide forwardly or rearwardly, for adjusting the jaws 1 and [5 upon a pipe (not shown). A series of gauge marks 24 are formed along the upper margin of the shank l4, on the left side and back of the jaw l5. These marks are spaced apart to correspond with the diameters of various pipes commonly worked on, and are so positioned relative to the retracted forward margin 9 of the shank holder 8, that the proper jaw spread for receiving a given size of pipe, is instantly indicated and provided by aligning the margin 9 with the gauge mark 24 corresponding to the required pipe diameter.

The upper face of the handle 5, is tapered sharply down, rearwardly, immediately back of the shank holder 8, as indicated at 25, for provid ing space between the handle and the rear end of the shank M, for working and rocking the latter as required in use.

In such use the jaws are adjusted quickly to the size of the pipe by merely pressing down on the head of the screw 22, thus freeing the shank I4, and moving same to register on the gauge marks 24 with the frontal margin 9 of the shank carrier 8, conformably with the size of the pipe.

The screw 22 is then released and the block I6 is forced up against the shank M, where the teeth l9 mutually interlock and hold the jaws in set position. Downward pressure upon the rear end of the handle then firmly closes the jaws l and I5 upon the pipe. In the rocking movement of the shank l4 and follower block I 6, the forward curved end |6a of said block turns and slides nicely in the complementally concaved end portion [2 of the chamber ID, with a pivotal action which effectually prevents the block lfi-from binding at its ends against the ends of the chamber I0, and facilitates the easy and positive operation of the wrench.

While I have here shown and described a certain embodiment of my invention and specific structural features thereof, the same may be altered or changed in details within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a wrench of the kind described, an elongated handle, a flattened head on the forward end of the handle, the lower portion of the forward margin of the head being inclined rearwardly and serrated to provide a fixed rear jaw and the upper portion thereof being offset upwardly to provide a shank carrier, the forward end of the offset portion being retracted relative to the face of said jaw, there being a flattened, elongated follower block chamber formed within the head aligned with the axis of the handle and opening out forwardly and rearwardly through the ends of the offset shank carrier portion to provide guide ways, the inner face of the forward end of said chamber being concaved on the plane of the head, immediately below the forward guide-way of the shank carrier, a frontal jaw shank slidably extended through the shank carrier and guide-ways thereof, and dimensioned relative to the depth of the guideways so as to permit the rocking of the shank in the plane of the head, a jaw olfset on the forward end of said shank in operative alignment with the fixed jaw of the head and serrated on its inner face, an elongated follower block seated freely within the follower block chamber immediately below the inserted shank, the forward end thereof being convexed complementally to and slidably seated in the concavity at the forward end of the chamber of the head, means for resiliently urging the follower block upward against the said frontal jaw shank, intermeshing teeth formed on the meeting faces of follower block and shank, and means for releasing the follower block and teeth thereof from engagement with the teeth of the said frontal jaw shank.

2. In a wrench of the kind described and wherein is embodied an elongated, flattened handle having a correspondingly flattened head at the forward end thereof, the lower portion of the forward margin of the head being inclined rearwardly and serrated to form a fixed rear jaw and the upper portion thereof being offset upwardly to provide a shank carrier, the forward end of the offset portion being retracted relative to the face of said jaw, there being an elongated, flattened follower block chamber formed within the head in alignment with the axis of the handle, the said chamber being extended upwardly into said offset portion or shank carrier, the said chamber opening out forwardly and rearwardly through the ends of the offset shank carrier, above the upper margin of the handle to provide guide ways, the inner face of the forward end of said chamber being concaved transversely on the plane of the head in vertical alignment with the forward margin of the forward guide way of the shank carrier, a, frontal jaw shank slidably extended through the shank carrier and guide ways thereof and dimensioned relative to the depth of the guide ways to permit the rocking of the shank in the plane'of the shank and wrench handle, a jaw offset on the forward end of said shank in operative alignment with the fixed jaw of the wrench head and serrated on its inner face, an elongated follower block seated freely within the follower block chamber of the wrench head im mediately below the inserted shank, the forward end of the follower block being convexed complementally to and slidably seated within the concavity at the forward end of the said chamber, whereby the rocking action of the frontal jaw shank is facilitated, a pair of coil springs mounted within the ends of the follower block chamber and braced between the bottom thereof and the under side of the ends of the follower block, whereby the said block is urged upwardly against the lower face of the frontal jaw shank, the block being serrated on its upper side complementally to similar intermeshing serrations formed on the under side of the jaw shank and whereby the jaws may bereleasably locked at any adjusted position, there being a slot formed medially through a, side wall of the wrench head, and an adjustment screw passed through this slot and seated at its inner end in the follower block, whereby this block may be released from engagement with the frontal jaw shank for the purpose of adjusting the wrench jaws toward or from one another.

GEORGE P, VAU'IROT. 

